1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to construction features of a motor home or trailer and, more particularly, to a frame joint system and the component parts of the side walls and roof.
2. Description of Related Art
In the motor home and home trailer industry, a chassis or frame member will support constructed side walls, roof, and end walls to form the shell of either a motor home or trailer unit. Frequently the frame and joints of such constructions are formed of wood beams and plywood with fiberglass or molded plastic exteriors. Such constructions are relatively labor intensive, do not always provide a uniformity of product, and are subject to transportation flexing problems over the life of the product.
Problems of water leakage have also frequently occurred in motor homes, along with the stress torquing of mobile structures.
Attempts have been made in the prior art to permit a relatively modular approach to manufacturing of vehicle bodies, as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,585,976, 2,235,662, and 2,214,244. The ability to connect or join side walls and roofing structures in truck or trailer body configurations is also disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,489,670 and 4,403,804.
Finally, since motor homes and trailers are becoming increasingly more complex, in attempts to satisfy the desires of the purchasing public to enjoy all the comforts of static homes, there has also been a desire to lighten the road weight of such mobile products. Thus, the prior art in the field of motor home and trailer construction is still seeking to optimize their construction component parts and the ability to join these construction component parts in an efficient and repeatable manner during manufacture.